Managerial Communication
Chapter – One: Understanding Workplace Communication
Role of communication in Business
Business will involve communication –a lot of it – because communication is a major part of the work of
business.
The importance of communication skills: Because communication is so important in business, businesses
want and need people with good communication skills. Evidence of the importance communication in
business is found in numerous surveys of executives, managers, and recruiters. Without exception, these
surveys have found that communication ranks at or near the top of the business skills needed for success.
Unfortunately businesses need for employees with strong communication skills is all too often unfulfilled.
The communication shortcomings of employees and the importance of communication in business
explain why you should work to improve your communication skills.
Why business depends upon communication: Every business, even a one-person business, is actually an
economic and social system. To produce and sell goods and services, any business must coordinate the
activities of many groups of people: employees, suppliers, customers, legal advisers, community
representatives, and government agencies that might be involved. These connections are achieved through
communication.
Current challenges for business communication: While communication has always been central to
business, the nature of work today presents special communication challenges. These challenges are –
a) The need for expanded media literacy
b) Increasing globalization and workplace diversity: cross cultural competency - you are needed to
be aware that your assumptions about business and communication are not shared by everyone
and everywhere.
c) An increased need for strong analytical ability: computation thinking (to interpret with data, see
patterns in data--), visual literacy (the ability to create and interpret graphics), and interpretive
skills (extends beyond interpreting numbers).
d) An increased focus on ethics and responsibility
Main categories of business communication
Such newer media as blogs and social networking have weakened the boundary between ‘inside’ and
‘outside’ the organization. One post on a company’s blog, for example, could draw comments from
employees, from employees in a similar organization or industry, or from potential customer. Three main
categories of communication are –
Internal-operational communication: All communication that occur in conducting work within a business
in internal operational. This is the communication among the business’s employees that is done to
perform the work of the business and track its success. It takes many forms – ongoing discussion the
1
senior management undertakes to determine the goals and processes of the business, order, instructions,
reports (e.g. sales), message etc.
External-operational communication: This is the business communication with its publics – suppliers,
service companies, customers, government agencies, the general public, and others. It includes of the
business efforts at selling – from sales letters, emails, and phone calls to web and television ads, trade
show displays, the company websites, customer visits etc.
Personal communication: personal communication helps make and sustain the relationships upon which
business depends, and it is more important than ever. Personal communication is the exchange of
information and feelings in which we human being engaged whenever we come together – or when we
just feel like talking to each other. Although not an official part of the business’s operations, personal
communication can have a significant effect on their success. The employees attitudes toward the
business, one another, and their assignments directly affect their productivity.
Communication Network of the organization
There are two complex networks of information in virtually any organization – formal and informal. Both
are critical of the successful organization.
The formal network: In simplified form, information flow in a modern business is much like the network
of arteries and veins in the body. The formal network – is the main lines of operational communication.
Specially, the flow includes upward, lateral, and downward movement of information in the form of
report, memos, email, and other media within the organization; the downward movement of orders,
instructions, advisories, and announcements; and the broad dissemination of company information
through the organization’s newsletter, bulletin boards, emails, intranet, or blogs.
The informal network: operating alongside the formal network is the information network. It comprises
thousands upon thousands of personal communications that may or may not support the formal
communication network of a business. Such communications follow no set patter; they form an everchanging and infinitely complex structure linking the members of the organization to each other and to
many different external audiences.
The informal network inside an organization is often referred to as the grapevine. It carries much gossip
and rumor. Even so, the grapevine usually carries far more information than the formal communication
system, and so many matters it is more effective in determining the course of an organization.
2
Why communication is a form of problem solving?
Virtually every significant communication task that you face will involve analyzing a unique set of
factors that requires at least a somewhat unique solution. For this reasons, it makes sense to think of
business communication as problem solving.
In general, problem as a gap between where you are now and where you want to be. As a goal-focused
enterprise, business is all about solving problems, and so, therefore, is business communication.
The problem solving literature divides problems into two main types; well defined and ill defined. The
former can be solved by following a formula, such as when you are computing how much money is left in
your department’s budget. But most real-world problems, including business communication problems,
cannot be solved this way.
Of course, people will handle communication tasks somewhat differently depending on who they, how
they interpret the situation, and who they imagine their recipients to be.
The context for communication
Certain features of the communication situation are already in place as the communicators begins to
communicate.
The larger context includes the
-
General business-economic climate; the language, values, and customs in the surrounding
culture; and the historical moment in which the communication is taking place.
the particular context exert perhaps the strongest influence on the act of communication. These
interrelated context can be
-
Organizational context
Professional context
Personal context
The process of communication
No one can know exactly what occurs inside the minds of communicators when they undertake to create a
message, but researchers generally agree that the process includes the following steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Sensing a communication need
Defining the situation
Considering possible communication strategies
Selecting a course of action
Composing the message
Sending the message
3
7.
8.
9.
10.
Receiving the message
Interpreting the message
Deciding on a response
Replying to the message
Chapter-2: Communicating across culture
Growing importance of cross-cultural communication
Increasing globalization is one of the major trends in business. The spread of the internet, social media,
and mobile devices has only fueled this trend.
Both large and small business want you to be able to communicate clearly with those form other cultures,
for several reasons.
-
Many businesses sell their products and services both domestically and internationally.
You will be a more effective employee within your company.
Your attention to communicate clearly with those from other cultures will enrich your
business and personal life.
Major factors that influence a country or region’s culture
Topology: Topography is the study of the shape and features of the surface of the Earth and other
observable astronomical objects including planets, moons, and asteroids. The topography of an area could
refer to the surface shapes and features themselves, or a description (especially their depiction in maps).
Country’s history: have there been certain events or systems of government that have affected the national
memory? And what is the country’s history with your country?
Religion: What does religion play in the culture?
Cultural differences regarding body positions and movements
Movements of certain body parts (specially the hands) are a vital form of human communication. The
two-fingered sign that means ‘victory’ or ‘peace’ in USA ‘OK’ in Russia, Germany, Brazil.
In the USA an up-and-down movement of the head means ‘yes’ and a side-to-side movement of the head
means ‘no’.
Culture
Handshakes
Americans
Firm, three to five pumps
Germany
Single pump
French
Light, quick
British
Soft, three to five pumps
Asian
Gentle, for some, shaking hands is unfamiliar.
Impact of culture on views and practices concerning human resources
Differences in body position and movement are the attitudes of different cultures toward various factors
of human relationships.
4
Time: in the US people tend to monochromic. They regard time as something that must be planned in
order to be used as efficiently as possible. They strive to meet deadlines, to be punctual, to conduct
business quickly, and to work on a schedule. Middle East and some parts of Asian people are
polychromic; viewing time is more relaxed way. They being late to a meeting or a social function are of
little consequence to them.
Space: North American tends to prefer about 2 to 3 feet distance between themselves and those with
whom they speak. Arabian and South American people stand closer to each other.
Odors: Americans work hard to neutralize body odors or to cover them up and view those with body
odors as unsanitary. Some Asian cultures people view body odors not as something to be hidden but as
something that friends should experience.
Frankness: Americans belong to a low-context culture, a culture that explicitly shares all relevant
background information when communication. Asian, on the other hand, belongs to a high-context
culture, which leads them to limit background information and communicate more implicitly.
Social hierarchy: in many cultures, strict social classes exist, and class status determines how intimately
people are addressed and treated in communication.
Expression of emotions: From culture to culture, norms of personal expression differ.
Asian
Western
Middle Eastern counties
Problems of language
Crude and offensive
Moderate affection
Sorrow is expressed with loud wailing
Lack of language equivalence: Unfortunately, wide differences among languages make precisely
equivalent translation difficult.
Supermarket
Has no equivalent meaning in some languages
House, home; mind, brain; man, gentleman
French has not word to distinguish
Chairman, president
No word to distinguish in Spanish
For example, of our numerous meaning for simple word ‘run’ (to move fast, to compete for office ---).
The oxford dictionary uses over 15,000 words to explain What.
Difficulties in English
i)
ii)
Two word verbs (a verb + a second element)
Give up
Speed up, hurry up
Go on, keep on
Surrender
Accelerate
continue
Slang and colloquialisms: Cause problems when listener is unfamiliar with the words such as
24/7.
This is just off the top of my head.
Here’s is a quick idea.
Don’t let him get your goat.
Don’t let him upset you.
5
Advice for communicating across culture
i)
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
Do your research
Know yourself and your company
Be aware – and wary – of stereotypes: We have come to regard stereotyping as negative, with
good reason: stereotyping can prejudice us and blind us to others true natures. A stereotype is
“...a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people. For example,
Ethnic stereotypes are widespread, and shared by members of a particular social group. White
Americans, for example, were seen as industrious, progressive and ambitious. African
Americans were seen as lazy, ignorant and musical.
Adapt you language to your audience
Be open to change
6